Vehicles

This is standard-issue equipment in VCTF and Warfare modes. You'll always have it, and it can be deployed at any time with the tap of a button. This is a great way to get around quickly, but it provides no protection, and leaves you vulnerable to knockdowns. Any damage you take will result in an immediate wipeout, as will colliding with objects.

In short: It takes practice to use the Hoverboard well, but it's an important skill, especially for Vehicle Capture the Flag, where this is the only vehicle you can use to transport the flag. Practicing your runs is crucial to being effective in this mode.

The Hoverboard can also just be a lot of fun. You can crouch and release to do an ollie and then trick in mid air by firing or turning. Being able to use the terrain as ramps and effectively ride a level is not only a useful skill, but rewarding as well.

The Axon vehicles will be immediately familiar to veterans of Unreal Tournament 2004, and feature more traditional designs and controls, making them accessible to other players as well. While not as wild and exciting as the Necris transports, they are nonetheless varied and each has its own advantages.

Cicada

The Cicada is not a common vehicle in Unreal's maps, but it is an excellent air-to-surface fighter, making it a perfect air-support ship. It can fire missiles in either homing or blind-fire modes. This makes it powerful for taking out vehicular and structural targets on the ground.

When a support gunner mans the turret it can increase the Cicada's defensive capabilities considerably, allowing it to effectively shoot down incoming AVRiL rounds. These support gunners can also help when picking off smaller attackers. Since the Cicada is not an especially durable vehicle this can be very important. Two players will definitely be a lot more effective than one.

Goliath

This heavy tank is a bruiser when it comes to long-range anti-vehicular combat. Its cannon is slow and no good for taking out infantry, but it deals some massive damage against vehicles.

Since the Goliath is not a speedy vehicle, it may help to have a second player take the gunner position and use the minigun, much better suited to taking out targets on foot. The Goliath is a heavily armored vehicle and can take a lot of abuse, but you'll last longer if you can defend against smaller, faster enemies that can be tough to cope with otherwise.

Hellbender

A well rounded vehicle with moderate armor, speed, and maneuverability, the Hellbender is all about balance. This makes it a versatile beast, capable of responding to a variety of situations, chewing through infantry and posing a decent threat to moderately armored vehicles.

Unfortunately, this also puts the Hellbender in a position to be outmatched in certain areas. There are faster vehicles and more powerful vehicles, both of which could mean trouble. The best strategy to use the Hellbender effectively is to play defensively and be conscious of your opposition. Run from slow bruisers, and try to out-gun the nimble-but-fragile vehicles.

The Shock-based fire of the Hellbender can also be exploited in the same way as the Shock Rifle by firing a Sock Combo. Fire the secondary gun and then shoot it with the primary to deal heavy damage with a good sized blast radius. This takes practice, but once mastered, makes the Hellbender a much more potent offensive force.

Leviathan

The Leviathan's defenses are downright frightening. Not only is it the most heavily armored vehicle in the game, but it allows for up to four support gunners that can not only fire turrets, but deploy shields to block incoming fire. Let there be no mistake, if you want to take down one of these behemoths, you'll need to work as a team. Luckily the Leviathan is very slow, and very tough to maneuver, so a well coordinated team will be able to take it down with persistence.

The offensive capabilities of the Leviathan are adequate, but pale compared to the Goliath. The main cannon is powerful, but slow to deploy, and ineffective against most enemy vehicles. It is best reserved for structures and slow-moving vehicles like the Goliath and the Darkwalker.

Manta

The Manta is a very fast light-transport with some moderate offensive capability. It's ideal for any situation where you need to get somewhere before the cavalry arrives. It has the offensive capability to menace infantry as well as light vehicles, but its weak armor makes it a poor choice when seriously outgunned. Luckily the high maneuverability and rapid speed make evasive action quite effective. It even packs jumping capability which can help for reaching higher ground, and for just generally being a more difficult target to hit.

Paladin

The Paladin is a unique vehicle in that it exists primarily as a means of defensive support for other vehicles. It has the ability to project a powerful shield, which can be very useful when escorting an assault force.

Unfortunately, the Paladin is not very maneuverable or fast, so using it effectively requires that the vehicles you're defending work with you and provide mutual support. In matches with less experienced players you may be better off forgoing this vehicle altogether, but in the right hands it can strengthen an offensive push.

Raptor

Unlike the Cicada, the Raptor is best suited to air-to-air combat. This makes it a powerful defensive tool to nullify enemy aerial forces. It has very light armor and won't stand up to heavy ground assault, but the high speed and maneuverability make it an excellent transport.

The secondary fire will release homing missiles, which can be very handy against faster lightly-armored vehicles like the Manta or the Viper. The primary fire doesn't deal a lot of damage, but it fires fast and has some splash damage, making it effective against units on-foot.

Scorpion

For those who love to hit-and-run, the Scorpion is the vehicle of choice. A speedy, lightly armored transport, it's a fine alternative to the Manta, boasting much stronger anti-infantry capability and a bit more protection at the cost of some speed and maneuverability.

The basic rapid fire attack isn't particularly effective against other vehicles, but it can be quite good at taking out enemies on foot. The deployable scythes are the most fun way to kill, though, making it easy to run over enemies for a quick kill.

SPMA

While not a very versatile vehicle, the SPMA's unique ability to launch artillery strikes targeted from above can be useful for saturating key areas. Nodes and Flag areas make the ideal target for these strikes.

The SPMA needs to be fully deployed, and then fires a camera to the sky, which can be used to target areas below. This slow, cumbersome process makes the SPMA very vulnerable, so it helps to have an escort and keep your distance. The SPMA shot itself is easily destroyed, so being able to catch your target unaware or unprepared is key.